Romania Senate Doubles Bear Hunting Quota for 2024
Why this is here: The Senate based its decision on a genetic assessment of over 24,000 samples, estimating Romania’s brown bear population between 10,419 and 12,770—a figure used to justify increased hunting quotas despite conservation concerns.
Romania’s Senate approved a measure doubling the quota of bears allowed to be shot this year to 859. The decision, initiated by the Hungarian minority party UDRM, aims to control the brown bear population and protect people and agriculture.
WWF Romania criticized the increased quota, stating it lacks sufficient scientific backing and may violate EU legislation protecting the brown bear. The organization claims a recent genetic study used to justify the quota was incomplete and lacked essential data, including methodology and sample details.
WWF-Romania also argues reducing bear populations won’t solve human-wildlife conflicts. They cite access to waste, supplemental feeding, and habitat fragmentation as primary drivers of these incidents. Romania previously doubled its bear hunting quota to nearly 500 after a fatal hiker attack in 2024.